by Jenna Brandt
Lawfully Avenged
The Lawkeepers
Jenna Brandt
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Locale and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events, or actual locations is purely coincidental. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, email [email protected].
Text copyright © Jenna Brandt 2019.
Cover photo from periodimages.com and depositphotos.com
Contents
Introduction to The Lawkeepers Series
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
A Note from the Author
Also by Jenna Brandt
Join My Mailing List and Reader’s Group
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Praise for Jenna Brandt
I am always excited when I see a new book by Jenna Brandt.
Lori Dykes, Amazon Customer
Jenna Brandt is, in my estimation, the most gifted author of Christian fiction in this generation!
Paula Rose Michelson, Fellow Author
Ms. Brandt writes from the heart and you can feel it in every page turned.
Sandra Sewell White, Longtime Reader
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Introduction to The Lawkeepers Series
There’s just something fascinating about a man wearing an emblem of authority. The way the light gleams off that shiny star on his badge makes us stare with respect. Couple that with a uniform hugging his body in just the right way, confidence, and mission to save and protect, it’s no wonder we want to know what lies underneath.
Yes, what echoes deep inside those beating hearts is inspiring. Certainly appealing. Definitely enticing. Although those ripped muscles and strong shoulders can make a woman’s heart skip a beat—or two—it takes a strong, confident person to choose to love someone who risks it all every day. Anyone willing to become part of a lawkeeper’s world might have a story of their own to tell.
The undeniable charisma lawmen possess make all of us pause and take note. It’s probably why there are so many movies and TV shows themed around the justice system. We’re enthralled by their ability to save babies, help strangers, and rescue damsels in distress. We’re captivated by their ability to protect and save, defend the innocent, risk their lives, and face danger without hesitation. Of course, we expect our heroes to stay solid when we’re in a mess. We count on them for safety, security, and peace of mind. From yesterday to today, that truth remains constant.
Their valor inspires us, their integrity comforts, and their courage melts our hearts—irresistibly. But there’s far more to them than their courageous efforts. How do they deal with the difficulties they face? Can they balance work and life? And how do they find time for love outside their life of service?
We want to invite you on a journey—come with us as we explore the complex lives of the men and women who serve and protect us every day. Join us in a fast-paced world of adventure. Walk into our tight-knit world of close friendships, extended family, and danger—as our super heroes navigate the most treacherous path of all—the road to love.
The Lawkeepers. Historical and modern-day super heroes; men and women of bravery and valor, taking love and law seriously. A multi-author series, sure to lock up your attention and take your heart into custody.
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The Lawkeepers is a multi-author series alternating between historical westerns and contemporary westerns featuring law enforcement heroes that span multiple agencies and generations. Join bestselling authors Jenna Brandt, Lorana Hoopes, Elle E. Kay, Patricia PacJac Caroll, Evangeline Kelly, Ginny Sterling and Barb Goss as they weave captivating, sweet, and inspirational stories of romance and suspense between the lawkeepers — and the women who love them.
The Lawkeepers is a world like no other; a world where lawkeepers and heroes are honored with unforgettable stories, characters, and love.
** Note: Each book in The Lawkeepers series is a standalone book, and part of a mini-series of sorts, and you can read them in any order.
Dedicated to
my husband, Dustin, Badge #5654,
who inspired me to create this series.
You’re not only my heart and soul,
but my own personal lawkeeper.
One
1866 Arizona/California border
A rumbling sound gurgled up from Sadie Steele’s stomach. Pink tinged her cheeks as she placed her hands over her mid-section, averting her blue eyes from the couple sitting across from her in the stagecoach.
The embarrassing noise was a result of not eating for two days. She had used the last of her money before leaving Arkansas to meet her husband in Havilah, California. The remaining money he had wired for her to travel with had been stolen, leaving her with no means to buy food.
She hadn’t left under the best of circumstances and was unable to take much with her. All she had in the world fit into a small upholstered traveling bag.
Sadie should have prepared better. When she refused to let Mr. Swenson slip into her bed like he did all the other girls at the Little Rock Orphanage, she knew he would force Miss Hill to turn her out on the streets. Yet, she hadn’t found it in herself to comply with his demands.
Even though the streets of Little Rock weren’t as dire as other cities such as New York and Boston, she hadn’t fared well on her own. Sadie scrounged up a job as a tailor’s assistant after proving she could handle a needle and thread skillfully enough for the job. Never had she been so grateful that her mother had taught her the basics of sewing before she passed away giving birth to Sadie’s baby brother.
Three days later, baby Thomas died, and six months after, her father. Sadie believed it was due to a broken heart, but the doctor said it was the bottle that killed him. Either way, without any other family, Sadie had been sent to the orphanage.
“Are you all right, dear?” the elderly woman across from her inquired, jolting her out of her thoughts. Holding out her hand, the other woman offered, “I happen to have an extra apple if you would like it.”
Hesitantly, Sadie took the piece of fruit and whispered with a small smile, “Thank you.”
“You seem awfully young to be traveling by yourself,” the man next to the woman stated in a judgement-filled tone.
“Don’t you have any family to travel with, dear?” the woman asked in a kinder voice.
Sadie had known it would raise eyebrows traveling without a chaperone, but she didn’t have any other option. When the tailor shop owner accused her of stealing and threatened to have her room at the local boarding house searched for the missing money, she knew he would find her savings under the mattress. No one would believe
an orphaned girl didn’t steal it, and she would’ve been hauled off to jail. She had fled the shop, returned to her room, collected her minuscule belongings, and fled on foot to the next town over.
Tucking a stray strand of red hair behind her ear, Sadie shook her head. “I’m on my way to join my husband.”
Sam Clayton had been her best friend in the orphanage before they kicked him out at eighteen. He’d made his way out West in search of a new life. Once he settled in Havilah, Sam sent word to Sadie. They kept in contact through letters, so when she sent word that she was in trouble, he proposed they arrange a proxy marriage. A day later, a judge made her officially Mrs. Clayton, though she hadn’t seen her husband yet.
“I rightly think your husband should have sent enough money for you to travel without starving to death along the way,” the man rebuked.
“My husband wired me money for travel. The last of it, however, was pickpocketed when I was switching stagecoaches two days ago.”
“Oh, dear, I’m so sorry to hear that,” the woman stated as her hand came to her mouth in dismay. Turning to the man next to her, she asked, “Did you hear that, Peter? The dear doesn’t have any means to finish out her journey.”
Clamoring to her own defense, Sadie quickly stated, “You needn’t worry; we’ll be arriving by tomorrow.”
The woman opened her bag next to her, then pulled out a couple of dollar bills and handed them to her. “I can’t have you starving while there is something we can do about it.”
The man gave his wife a withering look but said nothing. Ignoring Sadie, he turned his attention to look out the window.
With a firm shake of her head, Sadie stated, “The apple is enough. I can’t take your money. Thank you anyway.”
Reluctantly, the woman put the money back in her purse, and didn’t comment further on Sadie’s situation.
Looking out the other window at the passing desert landscape, Sadie settled in for the remainder of her journey and waited to be safely delivered into Sam Clayton’s waiting arms.
U.S. Marshal Lucas Graham nervously waited for the arrival of Sam Clayton’s bride at the stagecoach station. He glanced at his watch to check the time. Half past two. The coach should be arriving any time now.
“Are you worried about tellin’ her the news?” Allen Floyd, the Havilah stagecoach worker asked with a large grin. “Several of the fellas over at the Gold Strike heard Sam talkin’ about his beauty of a bride. He told ‘em he grew up with her in an orphanage back East. They had bets goin’ on whether she’d show, and after Sam’s murder, it switched to which one of ‘em she’d end up with instead.”
Of course, the men at the Gold Strike would be crass enough to be taking wagers on such a delicate matter. It was normal living in a mining town to have such things happen, but it didn’t mean Lucas had to like it.
Through narrowed eyes, Lucas glared at Allen. “You can inform the men at the saloon that Mrs. Clayton is off-limits. She’s going to have her hands full trying to figure out what to do with her husband’s claim, not to mention she’ll be in mourning. She doesn’t need to have a bunch of men’s unwanted advances making it worse.”
“You wouldn’t be saving her for yourself, now would you, Marshal?” Allen asked with a snicker. “You ain’t married, after all.”
“No, I don’t involve myself with the families of victims,” he stated clearly. “I’ve watched too many lawmen lose their way while seeking vengeance for someone they care about. It never ends well.”
As the stagecoach pulled up to the landing at the station, Lucas took in a deep breath and held it. He sent up a silent prayer and watched with a keen eye as the door opened. He wasn’t sure what Mrs. Clayton looked like, but he assumed she would be young, and would look confused when she didn’t see her groom.
First to step off the stagecoach was a woman who appeared much too old to be Sadie. After her, a man came out with a sour look on his face. He immediately took the older woman by the arm. Lucas assumed they must be husband and wife.
Next, a young woman stepped from the coach, carrying a traveling bag in one hand. She was pretty, with long red hair the color of a summer sunset and bright blue eyes that bore straight into him. Though thin, she did not seem frail, and she wore a simple brown skirt and cream blouse.
Lucas moved forward and took his hat off, wringing it in his hands as he said, “Howdy, ma’am. You must be Mrs. Clayton.”
Eyeing him cautiously, she stated, “Who’s asking?”
“I’m Marshal Graham, ma’am. I’m in charge of the Havilah area.”
A look of fear entered her eyes, as she asked, “What does a lawman want with me?”
“Unfortunately, I have some unpleasant news to deliver.”
“What possible news could you have for me?” she asked with apprehension, her brows furrowing together. “I’ve barely arrived in town.”
“I regret to inform you, your husband, Sam Clayton, has met with an untimely death.”
A sharp gasp escaped from the young woman’s pretty mouth as her blue eyes rounded with shock.
Instinctively, Lucas reached out to steady the woman, worried she might collapse from the sudden devastating news.
She pulled away from his touch and said, “You needn’t bother. I’m not the type of woman who swoons.”
Lucas’ eyebrows shot up in surprise as he let his hand fall to his side. Though visibly shocked by the news, she did indeed seem to be standing up well under the circumstances.
“How did it happen?” she inquired, looking him directly in the eyes.
“Your husband had a thriving claim on Clear Creek. It seems he was due to make a deposit at the bank, but before he could make it into town, someone robbed and shot him.”
“Was it instant? Did he suffer?” she probed further.
“Ma’am, I don’t think it’s rightly proper to talk about such things in mixed company,” Lucas explained. “I think it best if you forgo the details.”
“Let me assure you, Marshal Graham, I am quite capable of processing such information without it affecting my ‘delicate’ senses,” she said tartly.
“If you insist…” Lucas stated, pausing for a moment in hopes she might reconsider.
He honestly didn’t want to discuss the nature of the deed. It hadn’t set well with him what was done to Mr. Clayton. The last thing he wanted to do was revisit the matter with his widow.
“I do,” she stated firmly, crossing her arms as she waited for him to comply.
Lucas took a deep breath and phrased the information in his head delicately before speaking. “He was shot a mile from his homestead. From what the local sheriff gathered from his investigation, your husband didn’t die instantly. He attempted to crawl home, but only made it as far as the edge of the road which led to his property. His claim is in a remote part of the creek, surrounded by ravines, so no one found him for several days.”
“Where do I claim his body? I assume I will need to make arrangements for his burial,” she stated matter-of-factly.
“You were already traveling when this happened, and with this being summer, time was of the essence. I’m sorry to say, we couldn’t wait for your arrival.”
“Can you at least tell me he was buried with dignity?” she inquired, her voice cracking softly from unshed tears brimming at the corner of her eyes. “Sam was a good man and deserved to have a respectful funeral.”
“I didn’t know your husband, but I can assure you great care was given to the arrangements. He had a lot of friends in town, and they made sure to do right by him. He’s buried in the Havilah Cemetery and the local pastor presided over the service.”
“Thank you for the information.” After a moment’s pause, she tilted her head to the side and asked, “I do have to wonder, why are you here telling me this? If there’s a local sheriff, why would a U.S. Marshal be delivering the news instead of the local lawman?”
“Because your husband is the fourth miner killed in this area as they were head
ed to make a large deposit. The sheriff isn’t equipped to handle an investigation of this magnitude and he called for federal help. They are concerned the murders may be linked together.”
“I see,” Mrs. Clayton stated, her face blank, making it impossible for Lucas to ascertain how the information was affecting her.
“Do you plan to return home? I can help you arrange transportation back East,” Lucas offered.
“No, there’s nothing back there for me. I planned to start a new life here with Sam. I’m not sure what I’m going to do now,” she confessed.
“At the very least, I can escort you into town and over to one of the hotels.”
“One of?” she asked with surprise. “How many does the town have?”
“Havilah has four hotels,” Lucas stated with pride. “The most in a single mining town in all of California. We have a thriving mining district and a plethora of businesses to support it.”
“Sam mentioned in his letters the town was big, but he never went into details.”
Lucas wondered why that was. Wouldn’t a groom want to entice his new bride to make the long journey out West with that type of information? A woman would want to know she didn’t have to give up necessities to live out here. Perhaps, the young man was too busy paying Sadie compliments—an easy thing to get lost in doing, considering how fetching the young woman was.
